Desha County, Arkansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Desha County
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Desha County courthouse in Arkansas City
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Location within the U.S. state of Arkansas
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 Arkansas's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Arkansas |
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| Founded | December 12, 1838 | |
| Named for | Benjamin Desha | |
| Seat | Arkansas City | |
| Largest city | Dumas | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 820 sq mi (2,100 km2) | |
| • Land | 768 sq mi (1,990 km2) | |
| • Water | 51 sq mi (130 km2) 6.3%% | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 11,395 | |
| • Density | 13.90/sq mi (5.37/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) | |
| Congressional district | 1st | |
Desha County (/dəˈʃeɪ/ DUH-shay) is a county located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of Arkansas, with its eastern border the Mississippi River. At the 2020 census, the population was 11,395. The county is plurality-African American. The county seat is Arkansas City.
Contents
History
Desha County was created by the Arkansas Legislature on December 12, 1838, consisting of the lands of Arkansas County separated from the county seat by the Arkansas River and the White River, and land from Chicot County. The county was named for Captain Benjamin Desha, who fought in the War of 1812.
Located in the Arkansas Delta, Desha County's rivers and fertile soils proved to be prosperous for planters under the cotton-based slave society of plantation agriculture in the antebellum years. After the Civil War, cotton continued as the primary commodity crop into the early 20th century, and planters did well. Labor was provided by sharecroppers and tenant farmers.
But following widespread farm mechanization, laborers were thrown off the land, and Desha County had a demographic and economic transformation. Thousands of African-American farm workers left the area and went north or west in the Great Migration, and there was a decline in population. Farm holdings have been consolidated into industrial-scale farms, with few governmental benefits for small farmers, and the economy cannot support much activity. In the 21st century, the county is seeking to reverse population and economic losses through better education for its workforce, and developing tourism based on its cultural, historical and outdoor recreation amenities.
During World War II, the federal government established the Rohwer War Relocation Center, an internment camp for Japanese nationals and Japanese Americans it forced out of the coastal area of California, the U.S. Pacific Northwest, and Alaska. The camp operated from late 1942 into 1945 and the end of the war, holding up to nearly 8500 ethnic Japanese, many American-born citizens. The Rohwer War Relocation Center Cemetery has been designated as a National Historic Landmark.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 820 square miles (2,100 km2), of which 768 square miles (1,990 km2) is land and 51 square miles (130 km2) (6.3%) is water. Desha County is within the Arkansas Delta and is considered a member of the Southeast Arkansas region.
Major highways
Future Interstate 69
U.S. Highway 65
U.S. Highway 165
U.S. Highway 278
Highway 1
Highway 4
Highway 138
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Adjacent counties
- Arkansas County (north)
- Phillips County (northeast)
- Bolivar County, Mississippi (east)
- Chicot County (south)
- Drew County (southwest)
- Lincoln County (northwest)
National protected area
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1840 | 1,598 | — | |
| 1850 | 2,911 | 82.2% | |
| 1860 | 6,459 | 121.9% | |
| 1870 | 6,125 | −5.2% | |
| 1880 | 8,973 | 46.5% | |
| 1890 | 10,324 | 15.1% | |
| 1900 | 11,511 | 11.5% | |
| 1910 | 15,274 | 32.7% | |
| 1920 | 20,297 | 32.9% | |
| 1930 | 21,814 | 7.5% | |
| 1940 | 27,160 | 24.5% | |
| 1950 | 25,155 | −7.4% | |
| 1960 | 20,770 | −17.4% | |
| 1970 | 18,761 | −9.7% | |
| 1980 | 19,760 | 5.3% | |
| 1990 | 16,798 | −15.0% | |
| 2000 | 15,341 | −8.7% | |
| 2010 | 13,008 | −15.2% | |
| 2020 | 11,395 | −12.4% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 10,479 | −19.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 |
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2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 4,732 | 41.53% |
| Black or African American | 5,385 | 47.26% |
| Native American | 36 | 0.32% |
| Asian | 61 | 0.54% |
| Other/Mixed | 408 | 3.58% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 773 | 6.78% |
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 11,395 people, 5,204 households, and 3,545 families residing in the county.
Communities
Cities
- Arkansas City (county seat)
- Dumas
- McGehee
- Mitchellville
- Tillar (partly in Drew County)
- Watson
Towns
Unincorporated areas
Historic community
Townships
Townships in Arkansas are the divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas; some may have incorporated cities or towns within part of their boundaries. Arkansas townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, the United States Census does list Arkansas population based on townships (sometimes referred to as "county subdivisions" or "minor civil divisions"). Townships are also of value for historical purposes in terms of genealogical research. Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps and publications. The townships of Desha County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.
- Bowie (most of McGehee)
- Clayton (Reed, Tillar, small part of McGehee)
- Franklin (Arkansas City)
- Halley (small part of McGehee)
- Jefferson
- Mississippi
- Randolph (Mitchellville, most of Dumas)
- Red Fork (Watson)
- Richland
- Silver Lake
- Walnut Lake
Notable people
- John "Kayo" Dottley
- Jim Hines
- John H. Johnson
- Major Jones
- Doug Terry
- Barry Williamson
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Desha para niños
